SNR’s New Montreal Project Hailed as Exemplar of Sustainable Development

April 19, 2010 -- The SNR Group (together with affiliates,

partners and/or subsidiaries, “SNR”) is proud to announce the Grand Opening of Domaine du Parc (http://www.thesnrgroup.com/terrebonne.html) in Terrebonne, Quebec, the largest sustainable real estate project currently being developed in the Greater Montreal area. Domaine du Parc is the product of over seven years of close collaboration between SNR, as lead developer of development group Heritage Terrebonne, Ducks Unlimited Canada, the Ministry of the Environment of Quebec, the City of Terrebonne and others.

Upon completion, the 400-acre project will include a broad range of housing options weaved into a nature park along the Milles Isles (Thousand Islands) River which is slated to be the largest nature park in Canada located at a city’s entrance. The project also consists of over 2.1 million square feet of land zoned for a lifestyle center (already under construction), which includes a recently completed Walmart, as well as a new government-built train station.

The nature park component will be comprised of spawning areas for fish and ducks, a dock area, ice-skating rinks in the winter and over 25,000 ancestral-type trees. Environmental groups will manage eco-tourist recreational areas on the waterfront, which will accommodate boating, swimming and fishing.

Over 250 guests attended the project’s celebratory kickoff brunch, hosted by the developers in a grand tent erected on-site for the occasion, including keynote speakers Hon. Lawrence S. Bergman, Member of the Quebec National Assembly and President of the Cabinet Caucus, Hon. Jean-Marc Robitaille, Mayor of the City of Terrebonne, and Bernard Fillion, Director of Ducks Unlimited, Quebec. Mr. Fillion proclaimed that Domaine du Parc would soon be an integral part of Quebec environmental lore, while Mr. Bergman congratulated the developers, the City of Terrebonne and all groups involved for their tremendous vision.

SNR Principal Arthur Steckler (http://www.thesnrgroup.com/our-people.html) described Domaine du Parc as “a testament to SNR’s commitment to developing first-class projects that are sustainable and environmentally friendly. Some developers shy away from environmentally sensitive situations, but we believe that the most innovative designs and concepts are often borne out of such scenarios. Domaine du Parc is an excellent example of that.”

Former President Clinton and Alonzo Mourning urge renewed efforts to end homelessness in visit to future Carrfour community in Miami

Former President Bill Clinton, Alonzo Mourning, Nnamdi Asomugha, Heather Graham and other celebrities led hundreds of young volunteers to Carrfour Supportive Housing's future Verde

Gardens community in Homestead Sunday for a day of service as part of the Clinton Global InitiativeUniversity's (CGIU) weekend program in Miami. The Carrfour community is one of the most innovative projects in the nation to help formerly homeless families achieve self-sufficiency and independence through affordable housing and wrap-around programs including vocational, micro-enterprise, relationship skills, and rehabilitative services.

(PRWEB) April 19, 2010 -- Former President Bill Clinton led hundreds of young volunteers, athletes, and celebrities to Carrfour Supportive Housing (http://www.carrfour.org)'s future Verde Gardens community in Homestead Sunday for a day of service as part of the Clinton Global Initiative University's (http://www.clintonglobalinitiative.org) (CGIU) weekend program in Miami.

Carrfour staff and volunteers worked with CGIU students to create inspiring tiled murals that will be placed throughout the Verde Gardens community when the doors open to 145 formerly homeless families next spring.

Stephanie Berman-Eisenberg, President of Carrfour Supportive Housing, thanked President Clinton for providing leadership on behalf of eradicating homelessness in America.

"Through his visit, President Clinton and the Clinton Global Initiative helped focus attention and resources on behalf of our commitment to serve the most vulnerable members of our community," Berman-Eisenberg said. "The work of the volunteers inspired our team and made a meaningful difference to our efforts to create a future community that will lead hundreds of local families towards self-sufficiency and independence."

Carrfour's Verde Gardens Apartments, a complex of 145 units of new affordable housing for formerly homeless families, will include an organic produce nursery, and a farmers market retail site on the former Homestead Airforce Base, which closed as a result of Hurricane Andrew. Construction of the community is being funded through the Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust.

NAR Survey Reports Rise in Vacation Home Sales Across the Country, Ruidoso New Mexico is No Exception

April 29, 2010 -- Vacation home sales rose in 2009, according to a recently released survey from the National Association of Realtors (NAR).

Their 2010 Investment and Vacation Home Buyers Survey shows that sales rose by 7.9 percent in 2009, increasing to 553,000 from 2008’s 513,000. The vacation home median transaction price also increased from $150,000 in 2008 to $169,000 in 2009.

“While the NAR survey is a broad countrywide survey that may not reflect local trends,” says Ruidoso real estate specialist Rhonda Albers, “if you take a look at the market for Ruidoso homes for sale (http://www.ruidosohometours.com/ruidoso-homes-for-sale-s4310.html), you’ll see that while the number of homes sold were down in 2009, our market held well compared to other markets. This indicates that homebuyers continue to express an interest in owning a second home in Ruidoso.” Albers also notes that the Ruidoso real estate market saw increased interest in the fourth quarter of 2009.

Known as the “Year Round Playground of the Southwest,” Ruidoso is a mountain resort community located on the lower eastern slopes of the Sierra Blanca mountain range. Situated in Lincoln County, New Mexico, it is surrounded by the Lincoln National Forest, making it a haven for outdoors enthusiasts. Ruidoso is also famous for its proximity to the Ruidoso Downs racetrack, which hosts the All American Futurity race, the richest American Quarter Horse race in the world.

“Ruidoso truly lives up to its nickname of being a ‘year-round playground,’” says Albers. “If you come here in the winter, you can ski at Ski Apache, the premier ski resort in New Mexico. In the warmer months, you can enjoy golfing, hiking, biking, horseback riding, hunting, and fishing. And no matter what time of the year it is, the views here are always spectacular.”

Based on data from Zillow, the median home price in Ruidoso has increased by 2.2 percent on a year-over-year basis from 2006 to March 2010. The market here is dominated mostly by second and vacation homes and the rising numbers indicate that these properties are increasingly attracting the interest of homebuyers.

“According to the NAR survey,” says Albers, “three out of four of the second-home buyers in 2009 were married couples, while the typical vacation-home buyer was 46 years old. We have been seeing the same trends here in Ruidoso, with many of our homebuyers near or at retirement age. We are also starting to see second-home owners upgrade to full-time residents as they begin to relax and enjoy life.”